Safety attachment for aeroplanes



March v26, 1929. D. PALLARIA y 1,705,677

' SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR AEROPLANES Filed Nov. 5, 1927 INVENTDE @Pam Patented Mar. 26,1929.

lDOIENIO PALLABIA, F LONPON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOB AEROPLANES. l

I Application led November 5, 1927. vSerial No. 231,261.

This invention relates to aeroplanes particularly intended for long distance iiiffhts over the water and which are not provided with permanent floats or boat-like bodies, and my a object is to devise means for quickly -increasin the buoyancy of the aeroplane, in ease o a forced descent over water, to an extent sulicient to support both-aeroplane and crew.

I attain my object by locating Within a norf mal part of the structure av frame which may beextended in case of need outside the structure, and which carries an inflatable air bag,

4and by providing means whereby the -air l bag when so projected mayv be inflated. Preferably such a safety device is located in each wing tip of a monoplane or in the lower wing tips of a loi-plane.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and is illustrated in the accompany- Aing drawings in which F ig.I 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, and more or ess diagrammatic, of a monoplane provided with my safety attachment; Fig. 2a front elevation of part of the same;

and

Fig. 3 a detail of the operating mechanism. In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different' figures.

' The drawings sho'w a monoplane of known type and require no description in detail;

yWithin each wing tip of the plane there 1s provided a chamber 1. In each chamber is fitted a frame 2 adapted to slide on the guides 3 so that it may be projected from the chamber as indicated in dotted lines.l Suitably secured in each frame is an .air bag 4 made o .any suitable water-proof and air-tight matcrial and of suitable si'ze to be contained within the wing tip when the frame 2 is retracted. Means ,are rovided for inflating these bags when the slides are projected. InFig. 2 one of these air bags is shown in'its inflated con- .45 dition.

While any suitable means will be provided for extending and retracting the frames 2, I refer to so arrangel the mechanism that the rames will be automaticall extended on the release of latches controlle by the pilot. Each frame 2, it will be noted, has a nut 5 connected therewithy through which passes a screw 6 preferably of a steep pitch. Each screw is mounted for rotational movement vvhlle held from lengthwise movement. With- 1n the b ody of the lane is journalled the gearwh'cel 7 with wliich v mesh the pinions 8 on the screws 6. This gear wheel is connected with a shaft 9 provided with a crank 10 so A that it may be operated by the pilot to actu. ate the screws to retract the frames 2.

Springs 11 are provided tending to extend the frames. springs surrounding the screws 6 and bearing .against the nuts 5 andthe inner bearingsof the screws 6.` Latches 12 are provided pivoted on the wings of theplanc and adapted' to engage keepers 22 formed in the frames 2. These latches are formed as bell crank levers and are actuated bymeans of cables 13 con-v Preferably these springs are coil nected with opposite ends of a lever 14 fuling compresse air and preferably detachably secured to the framework of the plane. Connected with each air cylinder isa pipe 16 provided with a valve 17 governing the admission of air'to the flexible pipes 18 connected with the air bags. The valve stems are pro' vided with levers 19 connected by cables 2O to opposite sides of a drun'1i2l mountedin the body of the machine 4and suitably positioned -for operation by the pilot. The air bags 4may thus be simultaneously inflated after the frames carrying them have been projected as' described. y

From the constructions described it will be evident that in case of a forced descent the f buoyancy of a plane can be almost instantly increased to an extent sufficient to float the machine and its crew, and that the extra. buoyancy is located where it would be most effective in keeping the body ofthe plane on an even keel and with the crew well above the surface of thewater.

What I claim as my invention is:

1; An aeroplane provided with a chamber; a slide adapted to be projected from said chamber; an .inflatable airbag carried by said slide and normally contained within the chamber; and means for inilting the bag after 4the slide has been projected and the bag thus carried outside the said chamber.

l1 2. An aeroplane provided with chambers le.

in its Wing tips open at their outer ends; slides normally positioned in said (chambers but adapted to be projected therefrom; nii' f bags carried by said Slides; und means for 5 inflating the bags when the slides are projected.

3. An aeroplane having its wing tips provided with chambers andwith normally contracted expansiblc air bags, normally shielded from external air pressure; means for projecting H10 bags from the vlmmbers, und means for expanding mid bugs to serve :is floats when llms proj `ectml- Signed at Toronto, Cumul, this 27th (lay of October, 1927.

DOMIINNI() PALLA RTA.. 

